"The Framework Agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) is a kind of confidence-building step on the basis of which talk will progress. So the final talks, which are going on, will conclude once all issues are hammered out. I think it shouldn't take much time," Rijiju told India Today news channel.

He said all issues were being monitored closely. "Our interlocutor is briefing us closely on the progress of the talks. Everything is moving very, very smoothly," he said.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

Rijiju said the Naga issue is not a recent one and has existed even before independence.

"It is a serious issue to which we must give serious thought to before we can just spell out anything. There are certain things, for example, sovereignty. Sovereignty cannot be something we can compromise on," he said.

Answering a query, he said there is no question of divulging the Framework Agreement "because it is just a step which has given us a direction on the basis of which talks should progress."

"The details will come out when the accord is finally signed," he said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates